Annual Report Accounts BAPG 2013-14 FINAL V2
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British-American Parliamentary Group Executive Committee Report 2013-14 (For the year ended 31 March 2014) British-American Parliamentary Group Executive Committee Report 2013-14 (For the year ended 31 March 2014) 1 Contents Page Executive Committee information 3 Foreword to the Accounts 5 Statement of Accounting Officer’s Responsibilities 7 Governance Statement 8 The Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of the British- American Parliamentary Group 11 Statement of Comprehensive Net Expenditure 13 Statement of Financial Position 14 Statement of Cash Flows 15 Statement of Changes in Taxpayers’ Equity 16 Notes to the Account 17 Activities of the Group 22 Report on the work of the Group during 2013-14 29 Minutes of the BAPG AGM held 10 th July, 2013 36 2 OFFICERS & MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2013-2014 Honorary Joint Presidents The Speaker of the House of Commons The Lord Speaker Vice-Presidents The Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett, DBE, MP The Rt. Hon. the Baroness Boothroyd, PC, OM The Rt. Hon. the Lord Carrington, KG, GCMG, CH, MC, DL The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg, MP The Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, MP The Rt. Hon. the Lord Falconer of Thoroton, QC The Rt. Hon. William Hague, MP The Rt. Hon. the Lord Howard of Lympne, QC The Rt. Hon. the Lord Howe of Aberavon, Kt, CH, QC The Rt. Hon. the Lord Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE The Rt. Hon. the Lord Jopling, DL The Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy, MP The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mackay of Clashfern, KT The Rt. Hon. the Lord Martin of Springburn The Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, MP The Rt. Hon. the Lord Molyneaux of Killead, KBE The Rt. Hon. the Lord Morris of Aberavon, KG, QC The Rt. Hon. the Lord Owen, CH The Rt. Hon. Jack Straw, MP Honorary Chairman The Prime Minister Vice-Chairmen The Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, MP The Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander, MP Honorary Secretary Brian Donohoe, MP Honorary Treasurers The Rt. Hon. Sir. Greg Knight, MP The Rt. Hon. John Spellar, MP MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE House of Commons Government Opposition Christopher Chope, OBE, MP The Rt. Hon. Ann Clwyd, MP Tobias Ellwood , MP Michael Dugher, MP David Heath, CBE, MP (co -opted February 2014) The Rt. Hon. Elfyn Llwyd, MP Jack Lopresti, MP Andy Love, MP Mark Pritchard, MP Austin Mitchell, MP The Rt. Hon. Sir John Stanley, MP David Watts, MP Stephen Williams, MP (stood down December 201 3) House of Lords Conservative Labour The Rt. Hon. the Lord Trimble The Rt. Hon. the Lord Anderson of Swansea, DL The Baroness O’Cathain, OBE The Rt. Hon. the Lord McFall of Alcluith Liberal Democrat Cross Bench The Lord Sharkey The Rt. Hon. the Lord Fellowes , GCB , GCVO , QSO Administrator : Hannah Mitchell The office is situated at 7 Millbank (Room 6/38), London SW1P 3JA Telephone: 020 7219 6209; Fax: 020 7219 5972; email: [email protected] 3 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Executive Committee 2013-14 met on: 22nd October 2013; 10th December 2013; 4th February 2014 and 13th May 2014. The Annual General Meeting, at which the current Executive Committee was elected, took place on 10th July 2013. The following indicates attendances at the Executive Committee meetings since the last AGM: The Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander, MP 0/4 The Rt. Hon. the Lord Anderson of Swansea 2/4 Christopher Chope, MP, OBE, MP 1/4 The Rt. Hon. Ann Clwyd, MP 0/4 Brian Donohoe, MP 4/4 Michael Dugher, MP 0/4 Tobias Ellwood, MP 2/4 The Rt. Hon. the Lord Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO 3/4 David Heath, CBE, MP (co-opted Feb. 2014) 1/1 The Rt. Hon. Sir. Greg Knight, MP 4/4 The Rt. Hon. Elfyn Llwyd, MP 3/4 Jack Lopresti, MP 1/4 Andy Love, MP 2/4 The Rt. Hon. the Lord McFall of Alcluith 4/4 The Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, MP 3/4 Austin Mitchell, MP 2/4 The Baroness O’Cathain, OBE 4/4 Mark Pritchard, MP 0/4 The Lord Sharkey 4/4 The Rt. Hon. John Spellar, MP 4/4 The Rt. Hon. Sir John Stanley, MP 2/4 The Rt. Hon. the Lord Trimble 3/4 David Watts, MP 3/4 Stephen Williams, MP (stood down Dec. 2013) 0/1 4 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2013-14 Foreword to the accounts Introduction The British-American Parliamentary Group (BAPG) was formed in 1937 to promote closer relations and understanding between Members of both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom and Members of both Houses of Congress of the United States of America by providing opportunities for discussion on problems common to both countries and for the exchange of visits and information. The BAPG Objectives, Activities and Rules were formally adopted on 5 July 1967 and have since been subject to minor amendments in 1968, 1981, 1982, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The BAPG acts as an autonomous body within Parliament. It appoints its own administrative staff to carry out its objectives and the Rules of the BAPG define the limitations on its powers. The management of the BAPG is vested in the Executive Committee. The Honorary Secretary, who is a member of the Executive Committee, is primarily responsible for the BAPG’s activities; the Administrator, who is an official of the BAPG and is not a member of the Executive Committee, is responsible for the executive work of the BAPG. The Chairman of the BAPG is the Prime Minister. The two Vice-Chairmen of the Executive Committee are normally of Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet rank. Principal activities of the British-American Parliamentary Group The format of the annual programme of activities has historically consisted of: one Annual Parliamentary / Congressional Conference; one ad hoc specialist delegation visit to the United States (budget allowing); one ‘familiarisation’ visit to the United States, run conjointly with the United States Embassy and the United States Department of State, and attendance as observers at a biennial course held in the United States for newly elected Members of Congress. Also, every four years, during a Presidential election year, members attend the Democratic and Republican National Party Conventions to see Presidential candidate selection. Various other activities are held in the United Kingdom with distinguished visitors from the United States. 2013-14 was a busy year for the BAPG with three conferences: the postponed 2012 Annual Parliamentary / Congressional Conference with the House of Representatives BAPG, which took place in Washington D.C. in November 2013; the 2013 Annual Parliamentary / Congressional Conference with the Senate BAPG hosted in the UK (in Hampshire) in September 2013 and the 2014 Annual Parliamentary / Congressional Conference with the House BAPG, brought forward to March 2014 due to the mid-term Congressional elections later in the year, which was held in the UK (London and Kent). The BAPG also successfully bid for Foreign Office funds from its U.S. Bilateral Programme Budget to fund a thematic visit to the U.S. focused on the US/EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The original bid (budget) was based on four members participating in a British Embassy arranged programme but the visit was co-ordinated with the postponed 2012 Annual Conference so that nine Members of Parliament were able to participate in the meetings. The costs of the visit (hotel accommodation, daily subsistence, ground transport) were covered directly by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In July 2013, there was the annual co-sponsored visit to the U.S., run in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of State, whereby eight Members of Parliament participated in a programme designed to give a greater understanding of the U.S. political, electoral and economic systems as well as to gain insight into current domestic and foreign policy issues. 5 Relationship with the House of Commons Commission and House of Lords House Committee The BAPG is funded mainly by a grant from the House of Commons Commission and the House of Lords House Committee in the proportion 70:30. The BAPG submits a detailed income and expenditure budget together with bids for expenditure on a rolling three year programme usually in September each year or at the request of the Clerks of the Overseas Offices who are the budget holders on behalf of the House of Commons Commission and House of Lords House Committee. Approval of the budget and the amount of the grant for the coming year is agreed in the first quarter of the following year. The grant is paid in one instalment, usually in April each year. Prior to 2008-09 the BAPG was funded by HM Treasury. Results for the year The Statement of Comprehensive Net Expenditure (page 13) shows that the BAPG had net expenditure of £28,028 for the year 2013-14. The Parliamentary grant for the year was £110,000. The BAPG currently holds £30,150 in reserves (page 14). The BAPG off-sets its carbon emissions from flights via the purchase of high quality Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) credits facilitated by the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Prompt payment initiative In line with best commercial practice it is BAPG policy to pay bills in accordance with contractual conditions. Where no such conditions exist, it aims to pay within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or presentation of a valid invoice, whichever is the later. There are no figures available to show performance against this target. Provision of information to Auditors As far as the Accounting Officer is aware there is no relevant audit information of which the BAPG’s auditors, the National Audit Office (NAO), are unaware.